Pasado's Safe Haven's
newest addition Zorro, the superhero of the sheep world |
The Other
Legend of Zorro
by Jenny M.
He may not
wear a cape or a mask, but this furry little guy is definitely a
superhero in the sheep world. Zorro and his friends knew what their
fate was at the sheep farm, and it wasn’t pretty. For years Zorro
would try to sway the others to escape with him, but they were always
too sheepish. Fortunately, he was one of the only un-castrated rams they
used to breed with, so he had more time to plan his escape. But Zorro
knew his time was running out and without hesitation he darted for the
fence and leaped higher than any sheep in history has ever leaped
before.
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All the sheep watched,
baaah-ing with praise. Zorro was not going to be dinner for anyone,
ever! Once he reached the “greener grass” on the other side of the
fence he ran and ran. He eventually reached concrete and was very
confused. Zorro realized he was in great danger after dodging cars,
left and right. Three men approached him wearing badges and
contemplated shooting him because he was interfering with traffic and
going to cause an accident. A passerby saw poor Zorro, frightened and
cornered. She was able to coax Zorro with treats and help the animal
control officers trap him and get him into the truck. Off to the Animal
Shelter he went. |
A sheep in transport,
looking for a way to escape like Zorro did |
For
days and days he stood, cold and lonely wondering what was going to
happen next. He crossed his hooves that the meat farm wouldn’t find
him there. After all he had been through; he hoped this wouldn’t be
the end. He knew he deserved a happy ending. |
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Finally, a nice lady named Cindy approached his kennel. She talked
very sweet to him and told him she was a volunteer at Pasado’s Safe
Haven… suddenly all his fears had disappeared. Zorro was on his way
to Pasado’s Safe Haven to finally getting his real chance at
freedom. |
The museling process
where sheeps' skin is cut off their bodies without anesthesia |
The
journey to Pasado’s Safe Haven was long. Zorro’s had a lot of time
to ponder his life. He knew his fate at the meat farm would have
been grim. He knew first hand (or hoof) that the vast majority of
sheep in the U.S. are raised for meat. Their wool is simply an extra
income “bonus” for humans. Sheep that are raised for wool are bred
to have lambs that are sent to slaughter. During transportation
they are without food or water for sometimes weeks, traveling in
extremely harsh weather conditions. Many sheep die in transport or
break their legs.
He
thought about shearing, and how it can be very torturing for sheep.
In production farms, they are pinned down violently, sheared
roughly and their skin is cut up. There is a common practice in
shearing sheep called mulesing. This is where any skin fold on
their body is cut off. There rear ends and shoulders are literally
cut off without any anesthesia. It is a matter of money; sadly,
they are viewed as production units, not as beating hearts.
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Zorro
once heard a story about a sheep named Cotton who came to Pasado’s
Safe Haven (read her story
here). He thought about her and how so
many other sheep and lambs are subjected to extreme hot and cold
conditions; almost 200,000 die from weather-related causes each
year. |
Safe at last at
Pasado's Safe Haven with his rescuer and hero, Cindy |
He
woke up from this horrible daydream when he heard the sounds of
chickens, donkey’s, goats, cows, and so many other animals
celebrating their happiness at Pasado’s Safe Haven. He would never
again have to worry about being tortured or killed. Zorro couldn’t
help but think about his friends back at the meat farm. He was very
sad to know that they were not as fortunate as he is to live here at
Pasado’s Safe Haven, but knew they would be so proud of him. No
doubt his bravery will go down in history. |
Please
help Zorro’s friends by not consuming meat, wearing wool or other
animal products. There are many alternatives to wool clothes and
blankets, including cotton, cotton flannel, polyester fleece,
synthetic shear ling, and other cruelty-free fibers.
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Tencel is one
of the newest cruelty-free wool substitutes it is breathable,
durable, and biodegradable. |
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Polartec Wind Pro is a high-density
fleece with four times the wind resistance of wool that also wicks
away moisture. It is made primarily from recycled plastic soda
bottles. |
